What can we do for you on the medical front? Lucky for acne sufferers, medical scientists have conjured up antibiotic pills, topical antibiotic and retinoid gels, chemical peels and light therapies such as photopneumatic therapy (PPX) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Chemical peels using various fruit acids and other solutions acts to open and cleanse inner lining of pores. Then Built-up sebum known as comedones, are manually extracted, and calmed by soothing facials. Light therapies are based on a certain spectrum of light that interacts with a substance from the very bacteria that causes acne breakouts. In PDT the substance is externally added to maximize the reaction. If some amplified light energy is delivered to the pores, it exerts toxic influence on the germ without harming our skin cells. That light is within the range of visible light, and does not cause skin cancer or aging like ultraviolet.
Everyday practice of healthy life style would also be in place. Here are some suggestions and recent medical findings regarding patient diets, lifestyles and severity of acne.
Acne patients are known to be more often depressed and hysterical than general population or other skin disease patients, and even compared with those with chronic brain affliction such as seizures. Acne and depression seem to have some mutual remedies and might even share some pathological basis. A recent report by a group of psychiatrists lists zinc, selenium and fish oil as favorable to patients with mood depression. A similar report by dermatologists agrees with most of these elements to be good also for acne patients. This is only a hypothesis at this point, however strong the evidences are, but no harm done giving a shot at healthier diet.
Let's go over the Do's first.
Fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids have some anti-inflammatory properties, and suppressive effect on oil secretion, meaning less acne flares. Japanese cuisine traditionally involves a lot of fish, accounting for the scarcity of severe acne patients in Japanese population. What's more, is that Omega-3 oils are beneficial for brain and retinal development and also implicated in preventing coronary heart disease. If you are egg-eating vegetarian, omega-3 enriched cereals and eggs (laid by hens feeding on flax seed, and walnuts) can be of some help. One single drawback in eating fish is the possibility of contamination with mercury or polycarbonate phenol (PCB). Health care officials advise to restrict intake of certain large species of fish, such as white albacore tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, in infants and young women of child-bearing age. Mackerel, salmon, shrimp or prawn are relatively safer. If you fall into the above group, you might want to visit the website for more information: www.otispregnancy.org/pdf/methylmercury.
A certain type of polyphenol, a.k.a. ECGC abundant in green tea acts on acne by toning down the inflammation in general and lowering the level of male hormones in the pores. Common mineral supplements containing selenium and zinc helps get rid of the aftermath of acne. Fibers? When it comes to the matter of clear skin, fibers may act by positively affecting hormonal balance in addition to detoxing.
Then, is there anything I'd love you to leave out of the cart next time you hit the supermarkets?
Dairy products come first in line. Contrary to the popular belief, nonfat milk doesn't significantly lessen acne. The main culprit is not so much the saturated fat as the cow hormones in milk that works similarly as those of human. You can be assured that animal fat can also add to the deteriorative effect of milk by its androgenic property.
And if you decide to cut down on milk and dairy product, please compensate by calcium pills or anchovies. Your skeletal system needs to stock up on calcium by age forty to avoid possible hip fractures and osteoporosis later in life.
Second important ones are the carbohydrate products with high GI (Glycemic index). Glycemic index is a degree to how much a certain food product raises blood sugar levels. Examples of lower GI food items are oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and Muesli cereals. The more hydrolyzed and processed a carb meal is, the high GI it shows. In concordance with weight watching and managing diabetes, it's the quality not the quantity of carb that counts. Some researchers ever so appropriately designated the acne as "skin diabetes".
As we all know, oil glands are at their worst in summer due responsive to temperature and humidity. What about the dazzling sun itself? Sunlight encompasses the range of ultraviolet as well as visible light. The latter kills acne-causing germs, but the former causes brown discoloration on acne scars, wrinkles and skin cancer. Take both lights into consideration, and please avoid sunlight as a whole.
If you are a heavy perspire, washing your face 3-4 times a day would be okay as long as you keep away from cleansing oil. Olive oil is known as one of the "non-comedogenic", i. e. not-pore-clogging oils; however, it still can clog pores to a moderate degree when combined with other fatty alcohol and emulsifier ingredients that most commercial cleansing oil products contain.
If you are acne-prone, please take time to use toner-soaked cotton pads to wipe across face after washing with water and cleansers. This last-minute cleansing step is essential to dissolve soap and makeup residues that might be left to form microscopic dough inside your pores, before you apply a water-trapping coat of moisturizers. Creams and foundations should be applied minimally, especially over the T-zone area. Coconut oil or cocoa butter containing facial creams are not intended for acne-prone individuals, however delicious they may smell.
Dr. Jeanne Jung is a dermatologist, graduated from Yonsei University and trained at Severance Hospital. After years of experience in cosmetic dermatology, she is now at hus’hu skin clinic in Apgujeon.
For more information on Dr. Jung and hus’hu clinic, please visit hus’hu website at
http://english.hus-hu.com/
Dial 1577-3782
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